Books are Your Passport to the World

Sixth Annual Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros in San Francisco invites children to explore their world through art and books.

San Francisco, CA– Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros is known throughout the country as a celebration of children and families. In San Francisco, it is a day when families from all walks of life can come together to enjoy a diverse blend of cultural activities and to celebrate the importance of literacy.

Free and open to the public, this year’s celebration will be held once again at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Sunday, April 24^th, from 1:00-4:00 pm and promises to be the most exciting yet. Nine Bay Area nonprofits and community organizations have raised funds to provide a host of entertainment at the event and to give every child who attends a free book.

"Each year, the celebration has grown immensely," says Kerry Philp, Executive Director of the Mission Learning Center, one of the principle organizers of this event. "Last year, the event attracted over a thousand children and their families, and we gave away 700 books to each child who came. We know we can make an even bigger impact this year because of the level of support we’ve received and the kinds of activities we have in store." This year’s event will feature Dr. Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne, host of the popular Spanish-language radio program, Nuestros Niños, as emcee.

Every child who takes part in at least three activities during the day are entitled to receive one free book. With a special "passport" in hand, kids can hop from one activity table to the next to get their stamps. Whether they choose to make a traditional Mexican headdress or listen to a lively storyteller, kids will be learning about the people in their community while having fun. Art activities will be provided by KQED, San Francisco Center for the Book, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Asian Art Museum, Mexican Museum, ArtSpan, Nuestros Niños, and Zeum. The San Francisco Public Library’s Bookmobile will also be open to all who want to check out its many offerings.

Live dance performances will entertain both children and adults throughout the day. Watch Abada Capoeira demonstrate an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines dance, music, percussion, song, ritual, self-defense technique, and acrobatics. The China Dance School and Theater will perform folk and ethnic dances with children of all ages, and the Murphy Irish Dancers will have everyone clapping and stomping in the park.

While there will be plenty of entertainment and activities to keep young ones busy, organizers say it’s really all about the books. "Books have the power to change a child’s life," says Robert Langdon of Children’s Book Press, a publisher of bilingual and multicultural children’s books that donated 500 books to the event. Generous donations of books were also made by KQED and Mission Learning Center, while additional funding to purchase books came from the Latino Community Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.

The beauty of the event, Langdon says, is that it is all-inclusive. "Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros makes books available to everyone. All you need is a willingness to learn."

Press Contact
Janet del Mundo, Children’s Book Press
415-821-3080 ext. 13, jdelmundo@childrensbookpress.org